ALANNABeing back in this courtroom always pushes me to the edge, and I feel like I am going to lose my mind and snap one of these days.Hell wouldn't make today that day.Not when I would be called to testify my account of events. I stared at Nolan who appeared disoriented, he wasn't as composed as he normally appeared even on bad days.Was it because he was about to lose his position as CEO, I know I asked him to choose but in my defense, I wanted to also know what was important to him.“Are you ready Ms. Alanna,?” my Lawyer, Mr. David asked, startling me from my thoughts.“Yes,” I lied, I was far from ready, but what choice do I have? I walked in, Angela was by my side as usual and I was grateful for such a support system like her. The court rose when the Judge walked in magnetically and I used that opportunity to steal a glance at Nolan who was at his mother's side. “The court calls on Ms. Alanna to take the stand,” they called out and Angela gave me a half smile, I clenched my
BRADI am running out of time. I muttered to myself.I was already losing my mind, I got a text from my secret informant at the trial informing me about Nolan’s heroic speech.Fucking bastard! I cursed out loud, shoving the papers before me in rage. I knew his game. Get Alanna to think like he is worth it and wants her best interest and soon he would just end up winning her over.It is the oldest plan in Nolan's playbook.But I won't let him. I needed to think quickly and be two steps ahead of him. I was still struggling with my thoughts to come up with a plan to get Alanna to agree to date me before Nolan struck when I heard a knock on my door.I sighed and said a silent prayer, I prayed it wasn't Chloe, she was nothing but a distraction to me right now. I took out my camera app and was surprised to see that it was that old Westbrook Witch, Mrs. Westbrook, my stepmother. I don't really call her my stepmother, but she is old and a witch.“Brad, I know that you are inside, don't kee
ALANNAWhy did he say all that about me in court?Does he want to lose everything? Maybe because he thinks they can't win and wants to use what he would say to manipulate me to think he is a good person.“But they were winning,” Angela spoke out interrupting my thoughts.“Well, I won't really say that we're winning but their Lawyer is good and he had me in a corner,” I confessed, taking another clip from the vanity to clip the edge of my hair. I was getting prepared for my date with Brad, it would be the first time I went to his place. He said I should dress fancy and that he would be cooking. “A man that cooks, I love that,” I had teased him when he called me later that night. I still felt the same way I felt about Brad, there was no connection between us. Well, not from my end.But I wanted to try, maybe if I got to go to his house and see a part of him that I had not seen before, in-depth, I would be able to connect with him.“I mean, it doesn't make any sense, I think he was be
BRADI have been counting the seconds to this moment.This very moment when I would have her ALONE, in my house.I had thought about it and prepared for her all day, everything had to be perfect, I didn't want to screw it up, I wanted to make sure that everything went as planned.In the morning, I went grocery shopping, I knew how to cook and I knew the perfect meal for us.Spaghetti and meatballs, she would be so impressed, especially when I used my mum's recipe.Then I would stop at the corner alley of downtown and meet up with an old friend. He walked erratically toward my car and slammed it as soon as he entered, his face was pale and his eyes dim. I am sure he was still using drugs, even though he had checked himself countless times in a rehabilitation center to get clean.But one thing I have learned about addictive old habits, it dies hard.“Do you have what I want,” I had asked him. He nodded, and glanced out the window and also at the rearview mirror, “Relax, I checked i
CHLOEFuck!Fuck!Fuck!I didn't know Alanna was going to be here, Nolan had not gotten home, quite frankly he rarely come home these days, I wasn't sure where he spent the night but my guess could be at Jake’s house.I was so horny and I tried calling Lucas but my call went straight to voicemail, I didn't want to call Brad before coming, else he might decline, so I got in my car and drove up here.As soon as he slammed the door in rage, he veered around to face me, “Do you have any clue what you just did?” he asked, clenching his fist.“How the fuck am I to know that she would be here…,” I was not done talking when his fist landed on my face and I tumbled to the floor, I squirmed in pain, I had not expected the slap and my eyes welled go in tears. “That is why you have a fucking cell phone, you call,” he yelled out, he squatted to where I had fallen and held my chin up.“Now look what you caused, all because of you were fucking horny, you ruined my plan,”“I am sorry,” I cried out.
ALANNAA lot was running through my mind, I had more questions than answers. I wanted more answers. Why was Chloe at Brad's house by that time of the night?I know Brad had explained but something about it didn't just sit right. I had a gut feeling that one of them was lying. Was it Brad or Chloe?But Brad had no reason to lie to me. I could see the desire in his eyes when he sat across the table from me, it was raw, he longed for me, he wanted me, there was an adulterated thirst in his eyes. Every part of him wanted every part of me.“I am glad she interrupted you, God knows what kind of stupid decisions you would have made yesterday,” Angela sneered as we made our way to the elevator, I grinned at her, her hatred for Brad was uncanny. “Is that all you can take out of this story?” I teased as the elevator door flung open and we began making our way to the courtroom. I hated being back downtown, there was a lot about downtown that smelled like privilege. This was one place in th
CHLOEI hate my life, I truly do. I glanced down at my phone, half-distracted, half-hoping for something that might divert my thoughts from the mess my life had become.The message blinked insistently, demanding my attention. It was from my informant at the court, the one I had tasked with keeping an eye on things. My eyes widened in disbelief as I read the update: someone had leaked a picture of Brad and Alanna on a date.Alanna. The name alone was enough to sour my mood. I knew I was the only one privy to that information, which meant Brad had lied to me, he had other plans. Again. I reminded myself, for the umpteenth time, that trusting Brad was akin to believing in fairy tales — all glitter and no substance.Before I could even process this latest betrayal, Lucas appeared, his presence startling me out of my thoughts. He leaned in and planted a kiss on my cheek, a gesture so effortless it made my heart skip a beat despite myself. Damn Lucas and his charming ways.I had come to v
ALANNAA LOT OF QUESTIONS AND SPECULATION RAN THROUGH MY MIND. I stared at the screen in the courtroom and it seemed like the world stood still for me to analyze and take in all that was going on that particular moment.I gulped, reminding myself to breathe. I need to inhale and exhale. “Ms. Alanna, is that you in the picture above,” Mr. Collins asked and I kept staring at him, “Ms. Alanna please answer the question,” he instructed and I nodded. “Yes, that is me,” I acknowledged and Nolan glared at me, my hands were intertwined with Brad's in the picture, while we were having dinner and from the angle at which it was taken, it was taken through the see-through glass outside his penthouse. CHLOE. That bitch!I knew she was up to no good coming to Brad's house, and acting like she came there for some stupid Lawyer’s contact. She knew her play, she knew what she was orchestrating, her plan was flawless, even Brad didn't see through it.“Can you please tell the court what is going
ALANNAStanding at the back of the church, the soft melody of the wedding march echoing through the air. Who would have thought that after everything—after all the pain, the heartbreak, and the betrayal—I would find myself here, about to marry Nolan Westbrook, the man I once believed was the source of all my suffering? Life has a strange way of leading you exactly where you need to be, even when you fight it every step of the way.Pedro, my rock, my father in every way that mattered, stood beside me. He looked at me with pride, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "You ready, Dear?" His voice was steady, but I could hear the emotion behind it.I nodded, feeling my heart swell with gratitude. This was the man who had taken me in, loved me unconditionally, and gave me the family I had always longed for. And now, he was about to walk me down the aisle to start a new chapter of my life.As we began to move forward, the sight before me took my breath away. The church was filled with the peop
NOLAN"Closure doesn't come from forgetting the past but from facing it head-on."The wind blew softly as we stood at Chloe's grave, the air filled with the scent of freshly turned earth and the distant hum of the city. It had taken us a long time to get here, to stand at this place with a sense of peace instead of anger or regret. I looked down at the headstone, its cold surface a stark reminder of all that had happened, all that we had lost and gained.In my arms, little Chloe stirred, her tiny hands grasping at the air. She was so innocent, unaware of the twisted history that brought her into this world. But that was how it would stay. Alanna and I had promised each other that this child, this beautiful little girl, would never know the darkness that shadowed her birth. She would be loved, cherished, and protected from the truth that could shatter her world.Alanna knelt beside the grave, placing a single white rose on the headstone. Her voice was soft, but there was strength in it
ALANNAWhen Lucas stepped out of the shadows, gun in hand, my heart clenched with a fear I hadn’t felt in years. The happiness of moments before—Nolan’s proposal, the promises of a future together—seemed to shatter like glass around us. All I could see was Lucas, his face twisted with rage and pain, his eyes filled with a darkness that sent chills down my spine.It was as if everything we’d gone through, every battle we’d fought, was leading up to this moment. But instead of feeling strong, I felt vulnerable, exposed. Lucas was no longer the boy I once knew. He was a man consumed by hatred, and that hatred was directed at me.“You came into my life and took everything,” Lucas snarled, his voice trembling with barely suppressed anger. “You took my family, you took the only love I had ever known, and now you’ve ruined everything!”I tried to find the right words, something that could reach him, something that could make him see reason. But nothing came. All I could do was stand there, f
ALANNA"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."Shopping with Angela was just the distraction I needed. The weight of everything—Nolan’s court case, the uncertainty of our future—had been pressing down on me like a storm cloud. But here, in the brightly lit aisles, surrounded by the scent of fresh clothes and the chatter of happy customers, I felt lighter. Angela had a way of making even the most mundane tasks feel like an adventure.We wandered through racks of dresses, holding up options and debating the merits of each one. Angela was in the middle of showing me a deep red dress when she suddenly paused, a small smile playing on her lips.“Jake asked me to move in with him.”The words hung in the air between us, and I felt a surge of happiness for her. “He did? That’s amazing, Angela! How do you feel about it?”Angela looked thoughtful, her fingers brushing the fabric of the dress she was holding. “I don’t know. I mean, I love him, and I can see a future with him.
Nolan"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."The courthouse loomed before me, a symbol of the justice I’d been seeking ever since that fateful day. The memories of what Brad had done—of what he’d put my family through—played on a loop in my mind. There was no forgetting the fear in Alanna’s eyes, the sound of the gunshot, the moment when everything nearly ended for us. Today was about more than just a verdict; it was about setting things right, about reclaiming the peace that Brad had stolen from us.As I sat in the courtroom, the weight of the moment settled heavily on my shoulders. This wasn’t just about me. It was about Alanna, about our children, about the future we’d almost lost. I glanced over at Alanna, who was seated beside me. Her hand rested in mine, her grip tight and unyielding. We had come this far together, and we were going to see it through to the end.Mr. Collins, my lawyer, stood and approached the stand where I was seated. He was calm, composed, the
ALANNA“Family isn't just about blood; it's about who stands by you when the world falls apart."As we walked into the restaurant, the warm glow of the lights and the soft hum of conversation made me feel at ease. This place, with its cozy ambiance and inviting atmosphere, was perfect for the first dinner we’d have together as a family—one that finally felt whole. I glanced around at everyone, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness. It had been a whirlwind of emotions since discovering the truth about my past, and now, here we were, trying to create something new from the ashes of what once was.Nolan squeezed my hand gently as we approached our table. He could sense my nerves and, as always, knew exactly what I needed—a reminder that I wasn’t alone in this. The kids ran ahead, excited to see the menu and all the possibilities it promised. Mrs. Westbrook, who had become such a steady presence in our lives, followed behind them, her eyes twinkling with affection as she watched
ALANNAALANNA*"The truth is like a slow-burning fuse—inevitable and explosive, lighting up the darkest corners of our past."*The air in the room felt heavy, laden with the weight of all the secrets that had been suffocating us for years. Chloe's father sat across from me, his eyes tired and red, as if he had been wrestling with his conscience for a long time. I knew this conversation would change everything, yet I wasn’t prepared for what was coming.For so long, I had lived under the shadow of a truth I didn’t fully understand. I knew that the people I had called my parents weren’t truly mine, but beyond that, there was only darkness—a void that left me feeling lost and incomplete. Today, it seemed, that void was about to be filled.He took a deep breath, as if trying to steady himself for what he was about to reveal. "Alanna, I owe you the truth, even though it's a truth I've buried for far too long. You see, your real parents—they weren’t who you thought they were."I nodded, my
ALANNA“Some truths are too heavy to bear, but they must be carried nonetheless.”The phone rang late in the evening. Nolan and I were curled up on the couch, enjoying a rare moment of peace. When he saw Chloe’s name flash across the screen, he hesitated, the tension immediately creeping back into his shoulders. He glanced at me, his brows furrowed in concern.“I’ll answer,” I offered, knowing that whatever she had to say would weigh on him. He handed me the phone, relief mingled with worry in his eyes.“Hello?” I tried to keep my voice steady, but my mind raced with possibilities. Why was she calling now?“Alanna,” Chloe’s voice was weak, almost unrecognizable. There was an urgency in her tone that sent a chill down my spine. “I’m at the hospital. I need you and Nolan to come… please, it’s important.”Before I could respond, she hung up. I stared at the phone, my mind reeling.“What did she say?” Nolan’s voice broke through my thoughts.“She’s at the hospital. She wants us to come… N
NOLANI don't want this night to end," I murmured, my lips brushing against her ear. The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning and longing. I looked into Alanna's deep blue eyes, and I knew she felt the same way."Then let's not let it end," Alanna whispered back, her fingers trailing down my chest, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. The touch of her hands on my skin sent a shiver of anticipation running through me. I couldn't resist her any longer. I swept her off her feet, carrying her up the stairs to our bedroom, where we could forget about the rest of the world and just be with each other.I couldn't help but think about how far we had come. It wasn't just about the physical connection, though that was incredible. It was about the way she looked at me, the way she touched me, the way she made me feel. I knew that I had found something special with Alanna, something that I never wanted to let go of.I kissed her deeply, my tongue exploring her mouth as our bodies pressed t